Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-12-17
L.AMAR'S REPO
Of the Doipgs Of the Interior Department
for the Past Year.

Of the Doipgs Of the Interior Department
for the Past Year.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5-In his annual report
10 congress Secretary Lamar, among other
things, says:
From the report Of The commissioner OF the
general land { flee 1t appears that the number
OF acres Of lard Disposed OF during the past
fiscal year, under the various acts Of congress
authorizing sales. entries aud selections, AZ
y, gates %, III, 40 81, OF which 7,6.637.29
acres we're indian lands, 5,5l1 ,SO7. 33 railroad
selections, and 9, l09, 43l 43 selections under
other grants; the aggregate amount showing
al Increase q 4 S62, 5.4.b acres rs compared
wijh the previous year. The receipts from
disposal of the public lands were $40 1873 92l-
70; from sales OF Indian lands, 81 ,4S4 3g23l;
a total Of ST. PCS 24 02 an increase oyer TIE
previous GEAR o. 1924, 727,CS. To which is to
be added IS, &9l received ON account Of t'moer
depreoatious, and Sl2, 493 So received Toy r.
ribed copies Of records furnished by the gen
crai land fiji x, making r%ecet1ts OF that bureau
from all sources sl2. 2S9,0OS 81.
The total number OF entries and filings
Nv "a II tAt IVA % N.Y.
81 ,3o7t3}.4t acres; an Increase II / 40 over
the previous year; whilst the number OF
r'ginai homestead entries war 81 OPS, cover
! ,up Nh area Of 1894 80 lG Il rcs, Il decrease
II 9,st0 entries and l,55 1850 acres. Final
proof was made on 1886 homestead %entrief,
af which II COL were CONN tied homestead
entries, ana 32l purchased under the act o.
J... * 1.At. ~, t,n.ouonf KIN aptfisa and
81 So $50 acres. Fhe pre.'mu,ion entries
were 2l,it3 embracing 9,l72, Also srrrs AZ
Increase vi 5 COL entries, and Of 1913, 1913 Al
acres.
Uader the desert land set . PAP entries were
msd", embracing 80 ,014 90 acres; a decrease
o. 216 entries ami = GA. ID acres.
der the timber and stoae act OF June 3,
1873, 655 entries, embracing 8 ,61 acres, were
m IT. being an increase Of 30 entries and
20 92S acres ss compared vita 1876.
| sp~ectfuliy but earnestly ~reiterate my I'D
wee that YOU the immediate and
,Otal repeal Of the presumption laws, the TIM
Der culture acts, ard the Reimbursement acts,
and add thereto the cash-entry laws aud the
q ,sert land law. Preferring a tentative and
x "a sbHA = = Ai Va VI A'bA'N' W
eua gee.ed amendments 70 these two latter,
Dut the failure OF corg-ess to make sucn
amendments, sud further experience OF tn
injurious effect Of their pr sent form, b.
convinced me that ali except the homestead
law sheuld be swept from The statue book.
During the year 10 Dakota the lands entered
under tit homestead, pre-emptton and timer
| al1ltrra | otyS uyUrnuora | n,- OIL anree while
The area ccqutred by 6nal proof ard cash
entry wss 1.5S6. 6;J ecrea. In Wyosaiog,
80, lSJ acres were taken up under the various
ia~s, sad IN In Idaho about $50 900 acres. IL
Ursh the total deposition OF the public lanes
since the opening Of the land ofice in 1868
amounts to 4 l5S, 7i3.3S acres. III Arizona
anu New Mexico the settle Dent on the public
lands has been rapid.
Referring to the report OF the commissions
Of pension Mr.. Lamar says: l desire TO call
attention particularly TO the suggestions
OF the commissioner for additional legisla.
tion. In addition to the suggestions made
by the commissioLer OF pensions, my s'ten.
ton has been called to the fact that under
exieting lave dependent orph,n children OF
ufNtarCN NoiuiVle, WIZ hny pSN wv W. FNp
sion, cannot have pension continued Beyond
the age of sixteen, regardless Of their pAysicii
or mental condition. There are n few In
stances Ia which children are physically and
m"UtsllO utterly ioclp ,cltttcd lor earn
ing their own livelihood, and in instances
where 1t is made clearly to aJpoar that toe
condition Of IN ntal imbec,hty or inaan,ty, or
such { cb.eutes Of mind or body, exists as 10
make these children utterly helpless fer earn
og their own livelihood, II seems rigat that
eneions should be continued to them fDr s
onger period.
The n for appropriations mace by
he conmi, sipner OF pensions snd submitted
through this department. and The treasury, !
nave examined critically, and believe tnat
hey are framed with due regard to economy,
ana 10 the needs OF the eervce. I respect
fully suggest that they may be made without
cuItsi meat. They evinc@ "A c4refu( study OF
the needs OF the pension system, the probable
outla, for the ensuing year, ond the cost OF
he apartment IN ali its details.
In addition to the recommendation Of the
commrstioner ~ pensions, ! would suggest
bat nd ,ws who may rf,parry, or VINO may
.nb. @ Iru' iy become widows, or he divorced
without fault upou their pert, should have
tb.ir peHsiNns revived to them for the period
Of SUCH ST cond widoWhooi.